Duke’s meticulously planned fightback begins after he’s ‘stitched up like a kipper’ for third time
It was only a matter of time before the fightback began, with some royal watchers wondering why it had not come sooner. Six months on from announcing he was stepping back from royal duties “for the foreseeable future”, the Duke of York has finally decided to raise his head above the parapet.
Amid a slew of headlines over his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted paedophile who has been propelled back on the public’s conscience by Filthy Rich, a recent Netflix series, efforts are being made to rehabilitate the Duke’s reputation.
But following reports the 60-yearold might never return to official duties, has the Duke’s public image been damaged beyond all repair?
With Buckingham Palace having washed its hands of the saga after he issued his mea culpa over his “illjudged association” last November, behind the scenes a “working group” has been trawling through case files in an effort to clear his name.
Although to many it may seem an impossible task in light of the continuing negative publicity, yesterday’s statement marks the start of a meticulously planned campaign that began in January when Blackfords, the Duke’s lawyers, instructed Clare Montgomery QC, a leading extradition lawyer.
Described as “the most formidable member of the bar”, her previous clients have included Augusto Pinochet, the former Chilean dictator.
The statement also confirmed the hiring of specialist defence barrister Stephen Ferguson, described as a “fearless cross examiner” adept at “demolishing prosecution cases”.
Both are being briefed by Gary Bloxsome, a criminal defence solicitor who has defended British troops against war crime allegations and is understood to have been appointed directly by the Duke.
In March, The Daily Telegraph revealed that Mark Gallagher, a former director of corporate affairs and chief of staff at ITV, had been brought onside to handle the PR through his private client business, Riverside Advisory.
Nicknamed “the backroom fixer”, Mr Gallagher is one of Britain’s most highlyrespected spin doctors, having sat on the main board of
Camelot Group plc as group corporate affairs after being public affairs director at ITN.
His private clients over the last six years have included those falsely accused of child abuse by Carl Beech.
One source said: “This is a case where the presumption of innocence has been turned on its head, and the Duke has been presumed guilty until proven innocent.
“The US Department of Justice said early on that the Duke was only ever being treated as a witness and yet the implication of criminal activity has continued unchallenged.
“It’s quite clear the DOJ has comprehensively mishandled the Epstein investigation from the very
beginning and have been trying to use the Duke as a lightning conductor.”
They accuse US lawyers pursuing civil claims on behalf of Epstein’s victims against his multimillion-dollar estate of using the Duke as a “high profile battering ram”. Yet one victim, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, has proved impossible to ignore, telling reporters last summer “he knows what he’s done” after claiming Epstein forced her to have sex with Prince Andrew three times when she was 17. He vehemently denies the claims.
Although they have never sought to bad-mouth Ms Roberts – who insiders say “there is no doubt” was a victim of Epstein’s crimes, Geoffrey Berman, the US attorney for the southern district of New York, is another matter.
Yesterday’s first salvo was fired in response to the front page of The Sun, headlined “Yanks: Hand Over Andy”, revealing the DOJ had submitted a “mutual legal assistance” request to question the Duke. It came after Mr Berman claimed in March the Duke had “completely shut the door” on cooperating, following briefings that there had been a “wall of silence” and “zero cooperation”.
One insider described the leaking of the MLA request as “the third time the Duke has been stitched up as a kipper”, amid accusations the DOJ has repeatedly broken its own confidential rules for witnesses.
A source close to Mr Berman’s team openly admitted to The Telegraph in March that the Duke had been “made an example of ” because he publicly said in his November statement: “I am willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required.”
Yet while the Duke’s team seems to understand “assistance” to mean supplying a witness statement, US prosecutors think cooperation should amount to a sit down interview.
His lawyers have said they do not want to make any further public statements on the possible next stages.
Yet it is thought the timing of the statement runs deeper than simply a rebuttal of Mr Berman’s very public protestations about the Duke.
Having taken a step back after admitting “Epstein has become a major disruption to my family’s work and the valuable work going on in the many organisations and charities that I am proud to support”, there is certainly a sense the Duke believes he can one day resume royal duties – despite recent reports suggesting he is a “busted flush” and “toxic”.
While the Royal family is said to have “no plans to review” his position after his car-crash Newsnight interview, with the Queen understood to be “resigned” to the demise of her favourite son, he appears to have other ideas.
Having been photographed with Sarah, Duchess of York, his former wife, packing cupcakes at Royal Lodge, the home they share in Windsor, and delivering care parcels to the Thames Hospice in April, he is secretly pinning his hope on a “complete exoneration,” insiders say.
Although he has already given up most of his charity commitments, with many of his patronages severing links with him, he retains his military commands, including his role as colonel of the Grenadier Guards.
Senior military officials have called for the Duke to be “faded out” from his honorary appointments, saying he has become an embarrassment, but it seems the former Royal Navy helicopter pilot sees the military as his possible salvation.
As one source put it: “He is conscious of the void left by the Duke of Sussex and wonders if he will one day be able to fill it.”
Despite everything that has happened, the so-called spare to the heir is still desperate to play a part in a monarchy that appears to have turned its back on him.